Courage, Faith and Trust
by ecv
Summary: My story for the Bonesology Valentine's Day gift exchange.


_This is for the Valentine's Day gift exchange. 5546Laura asked for Brennan, Booth, and Sweets with Valentine's Day, couple's counseling, and gifts. I hope this meets her requirements._

Rolling over in bed, Booth looked at his clock and groaned. One minute later, the alarm sounded, refusing to silence until Booth backhanded the clock to the floor. It certainly seemed like a sign of how this day was going to go and Booth gave serious consideration to just staying in bed.

Which would last about two hours, by his estimation. When he didn't show up in Sweets' office, worry would force Bones to come find him. She knew where he hid the spare key, so there was no chance of just ignoring the doorbell until she went away.

It wasn't that Booth had any reason to stay in bed and hide away from the world. Valentine's Day, that holiday he'd learned to hate, had come and gone the previous day. Despite his abhorrence for a day that was about the one emotion he hadn't managed to figure out, it had turned out better than expected. Bones had surprised him at the gun range, borrowed weapons on a cart she'd pushed in, and they'd spent an evening eliminating dangerous paper targets.

But now it was the day after, and the two of them had an appointment with Sweets for couple's counseling. Flopping on his back, Booth ran through some interesting curses in his head. He knew exactly how this was going to go. What did he do for Valentine's Day? How did he and Bones feel about the newest change in their partnership? Talk about their feelings, tell him everything.

Tell him nothing.

It was certainly the best plan. Tell him nothing about their feelings, their hopes. Don't tell him about what they felt for each other or other people or the decorations that were now fifty percent off at the local big box store.

Because considering all the good advice Sweets gave on occasion, the advice he gave regarding that emotion Booth refused to name was horrendous. Without fail, it always led to disaster.

Don't tell Bones that he survived the bullet meant for her and send their relationship back to the days when she didn't trust him at all.

Tell Booth that his feelings for his partner were based on nothing but his tumor, despite the fact Sweets had come to a very different conclusion in his book.

Persuade Booth to make a move on Bones and watch as she runs away.

Stand back and watch as Booth buys a ring for a woman Booth knew didn't want one.

Yep, Sweets definitely gave horrible advice when it came to personal relationships.

It made couple's counseling even more exasperating. Not for the first time, Booth wished he could just skip in the appointment and not worry about the consequences.

Sighing, he dragged himself from his bed and headed for the bathroom. The sooner he got to this appointment, the sooner it would be over.

OoOo

"Are you sure you want do this?" Booth asked for the third time as they approached Sweets' office. His hand was in the center of Brennan's back, allowing him to walk just a little bit closer to her.

Feeling that hand, Brennan fought off a smile. She wasn't even sure Booth realized he was doing it and she didn't want to do anything that would make him stop. To her, it felt like coming home again.

"Of course, I don't want to do this," she said, reassuring him she felt the same way he did. "But I'm not sure we have much choice in the matter."

Booth hummed an agreement. "You know what he's doing to ask us about."

Brennan wrinkled her brow. "I am aware of where Sweets' interests lie. It is not with our professional relationship." Pausing outside the closed door, she turned to her partner. "I find that I do not wish to talk about any of our relationships today."

Booth gave her a concerned look. Bones had the ability to bring someone to their knees with just words, a method that he found could be more brutal that fists. If she was in that sort of mood, it was hard to say what would happen when she opened that door.

"Just be careful what you say to him, Bones. Sometimes the simplest comments lead to more questions."

"Trust me, Booth," she said. "I have no intention of revealing anything to him today."

In a lot of ways, Brennan blamed Sweets for what had happened between she and Booth. His belief in his pseudoscience had led to heartache for both of them. Brennan had learned long ago to be careful in what she revealed to Sweets and today would be no different.

She didn't give Booth a chance to speak again as she opened the door to Sweets' office.

The younger man was sitting in the chair directly opposite the couch, clearly waiting for their arrival. Still, he barely managed to hide his surprise that they'd actually shown up, and only ten minutes late.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, please come in and have a seat."

Sweets watched as the two colleagues entered. He noticed Agent Booth let Dr. Brennan enter first, his hand at her back as she passed. It was one of the better signs he'd seen in the last several weeks.

He'd insisted on the partners coming back for counseling, even going so far as to seeing Booth's boss in order to force the appointments. He knew things between them hadn't been well when Hannah was in the picture. Sure, they still caught the bad guys, but it seemed to him that some of the magic was gone.

Now that Hannah was back on the other side of the world, he would do what he could to bring back that indefinable connection the two of them seemed to have.

It was the least he could do, considering the trouble had a lot to do with him to begin with.

"Tell me," Sweets said, picking up his ever present yellow notepad, "how was your day yesterday."

Brennan licked her lips and looked at Booth, motioning with her hand. "Go ahead, and tell him."

Booth's eyes widened as he looked at her. "That you brought me a Valentine's Day gift? Is that what you want me to tell him?"

She shrugged. "Sure if that's what you want to tell him."

Turning back to Sweets, Booth repeated the line. "Bones brought me a Valentine's Day gift."

"Interesting," Sweets said, refusing to give anything of what he thought away. "What did you bring him Dr. Brennan?"

"A gun," she said with a hint of a smile. "Two rather large guns in fact."

"Yes," Booth agreed. "And they were certainly a lot of fun to handle."

Brennan turned her head to the side for a moment before looking back at Sweets. Even she realized that comment could be misconstrued. Exactly what was Booth doing?

He nodded his head at her look, wondering if she'd improved in her ability to read people. Booth knew exactly how that comment could be taken; he'd meant it that way. Maybe he'd give Sweets something to think about today. He wasn't the only man who could make things up to suit his needs.

Wow, thought Sweets, not missing the look between the two. Did Dr. Brennan realize just what Booth was implying? Sweets fought to keep his eyes on Booth. "Um, what kind of guns were they?"

Booth smiled. "The guns came from the Roaring Twenties exhibit at the Jeffersonian, Dr. Sweets. Where did you think they came from?"

The look on Booth's face made it very clear he knew exactly what Sweets had been thinking.

Sweets made a note on the paper in order to avoid meeting Booth's look. "How about you, Dr. Brennan?" he asked, looking at her instead. "What did Booth get you?"

Brennan lowered her eyes and feigned discomfort with the question. "He gave me a gift. In fact, he gave me several gifts," she said, lowering her voice in a way she thought was suggestive. She was pretty sure she knew exactly what Booth was doing, and endeavored to follow his lead.

Her partner might have enjoyed the tone, except he was thinking about the question Sweets had just asked with a growing sense of panic. Bones had done something wonderful for him the evening before, and he hadn't done a thing for her.

Sure, she'd said Valentine's Day was just another day, but when had he ever listened to her? He enjoyed giving gifts, enjoyed the look in her eyes when she received something truly unexpected. Why hadn't he used the opportunity to give her something small, just to let her know he was thinking of her?

Looking at her profile, Booth wondered if she was acting now, or if she was truly uncomfortable. He should have given her something, anything. Hell, he could have taken her to breakfast this morning.

Ignoring the implication that Brennan was making, Sweets went for the obvious explanation. "Would you be willing to share what one of the gifts were?"

She turned her head toward Booth and met his eyes. Emotions swirled, but instead of hiding them like she usually did, she let Booth take a good look before she blinked them away and turned back to Sweets. "No, Dr. Sweets, I do not wish to share that with you. It's private."

Reaching across the space between them, Booth touched her arm. "You don't have to lie for me, Bones," he tried to whisper, knowing Sweets would hear it anyway.

Her head whirled back toward him so fast, he was surprised it didn't come off. "I'm not lying," she insisted. "You gave me a gift. I understand if you don't want to admit what happened in front of Dr. Sweets, but please don't insinuate that I'm lying."

Knowing Booth would ask her later about her gift made Brennan smile on the inside. She was pleased she still had the ability to surprise her partner. Booth didn't always know her as well as he thought.

Setting the notepad down, Sweets leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "Listen, what's taking place between the two of you right now is very interesting."

"You already said that," Booth reminded him. "It that why you wanted to meet with us? To tell us we're interesting?" He looked at Bones and back again. "Did you really need a meeting to figure that out?"

Brennan reached over and squeezed his hand before pushing it away. "Why are we here, Dr. Sweets? I find it hard to believe that your assignment is to question us about our personal lives. In fact, I'm pretty sure your job is to make sure we work together as partners. Which we have and we are."

Brennan couldn't have put into words why she felt the sudden need to defend Booth from Sweets, but she did. Booth had wanted to come in and just get this meeting over with. Apparently, at some point, he'd decided to lead Sweets into believing they'd slept together the night before.

Hinting at the act, without actually confirming or denying it, would tie the man into knots.

She didn't know what metaphorical button Sweets had pushed, but Booth was out for revenge now. And because she always had her partner's back, she would make sure Booth was successful.

Pretending she was trying to find a more comfortable seat, Brennan moved herself a little closer to Booth. Understanding what she was doing, Booth also shifted, so that by the time they were both done moving, their shoulders were touching.

Leaning back in his chair, Sweets pressed his fingers together in front of him. The body language was very clear; something had changed between the two of them. And by their suggestions, it had changed the night before.

Clearing his throat, Sweets brought their eyes back to him. "Do I need to see someone to make sure the two of you are still permitted to work together?"

The two shared a glance, having an entire conversation without words. Sweets marveled at what he was seeing. "I don't believe so," Booth said. "We are still just partners."

"Exactly," Brennan agreed. "Are you implying something else, Dr. Sweets? See," she said, rising suddenly from the couch, deciding that their work was done. "I told you psychology wasn't a real science. He's inventing theories with no evidence."

"No evidence?" Sweets sputtered. "You two are…you implied…you practically," he stuttered, trying to put into words what he was sure he'd just seen and heard.

The disappointment was clear in Booth's eyes as he also rose to stand next to his partner. "I'm not sure what you thought you saw or heard. She brought me a couple guns from the exhibit to play with. I gave her a gift that she doesn't wish to share with you. We are working together well and solving cases. Sounds like things are right where they need to be."

Put that way, it certainly sounded like Sweets was making assumptions he had no right to make. Besides, it was foolish to think these two would ever be separated. Everyone loved their arrest and conviction rate. They were too professional to ever let that change.

But Sweets knew what he saw and heard. Didn't he? Maybe he was wrong. But he was sure he was right. Wasn't he?

The psychologist looked up in time to see Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan quietly leaving his office. They certainly didn't appear to be more than partners at the moment, until Booth whispered something to Brennan and she laughed.

He watched them walk away, his mind bouncing back and forth between the two options. Just when he decided what to believe, another thought would pop up and he'd have to start the whole process all over again.

OoOo

"I didn't get you a gift," Booth said. They were outside, buying coffee from their favorite vendor. While cool, the sun was out and the air as refreshing rather than uncomfortable.

"Of course you did," Brennan argued, making sure the cover was secure on her cup. Turning back to Booth, she tipped her head to the side in confusion. "Why do you think you didn't give me a gift?"

He sighed. "I know I'm not as smart as you, Bones, but even I know I didn't give you anything yesterday. You've been there for me and brought me a great gift, even if we had to return them. I did nothing for you."

With a hand on his elbow, it was her turn to guide him. She led him toward a nearby bench and sat close to him, as she had on Sweets' couch. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing, Booth. But I'm going to try, so be patient with me."

It was one of the things she promised herself, after the night in Booth's SUV. If she ever got the chance, she would always be honest with him about her feelings, even if she wasn't sure about them herself.

"Okay," he said when they were finally settled. "Tell me about the gift I didn't give you."

She sipped her coffee, enjoying the sweetness before beginning. "You've given me a lot of things over the years, Booth. Brainy Smurf and Jasper the Pig are special to me, even though they are tiny. They are tangible proof that you know me, you listen to me."

Like her, he also took a sip of coffee. Unlike her, he grimaced at the taste and set the cup to the side. "But those are old gifts, Bones. I want to know what I gave you yesterday."

"Courage," she said. But knowing that one word wouldn't be enough, she tried to explain it better. "Yesterday you gave me courage. And the day before that and the day before that. Tomorrow, you will also give me courage."

"It doesn't seem like much of a gift," he muttered, a grumpy look on his face.

"Every day, Booth, you give me courage to be more than I was the day before. You give me courage to admit that I have faith in you. You give me courage to trust that you will come for me when I'm scared and alone."

Shaking her head at the look on his face, she took his hand in hers. "Without you, I wouldn't have to courage to sit here and say this to you. I wouldn't have had the courage to leave my office and be more than I ever thought I could. It is a gift you give me each day, Booth. One I will always be thankful for."

She looked at their joined hands and squeezed gently. "You gave me exactly what I asked for. I told you Valentine's Day is a holiday invented by the greeting card companies. I don't need flowers, or gifts, or a greeting card with your signature on it. I just need you. That's enough."

Taking a deep breath, Booth reached up with his free hand and brushed the hair from her face, just to have an excuse to touch her. "You humble me, Temperance Brennan."

"And you strengthen me, Seeley Booth." She leaned into his hand before pulling back. She knew where they were headed now, and she wasn't afraid anymore. But they weren't quite there.

Yet.

Wanting to change the topic to a lighter subject, Brennan bumped his shoulder with hers. "What do you think Sweets is doing right now?"

Booth snorted. "I think he's still in the same spot, trying to decide if we really slept together last night."

"I did an excellent job."

"Yeah," Booth agreed, standing. "He just made me angry, asking us about Valentine's Day. His advice is useless and I wish he'd just drop it." Using the hand still held by hers to pull her next to him, he brought it to his lips and kissed it before letting it go. "I have another plan."

Her hand tingled where he kissed it, but she managed to focus her attention on his words. "I'm listening."

"Let's play hooky."

"I don't understand. Is that another way of asking me to play hockey? Because while I'm extraordinary at many things, skating is not one of them."

Amazing. Apparently he could give her courage, but not the ability to understand all those random sayings he liked to use. "Not hockey, Bones, hooky. Let's skip work and go to the movies and lunch."

Intrigued, she considered the idea. "What movie?"

He closed his eyes and hoped for the best. "You can pick. But no subtitles. I hate having to read and watch at the same time."

"Then you can pick where we eat." Moving away from him, she threw away what was left of their coffee and turned to see him standing still, watching her. She smiled, suddenly unsure, and motioned him forward. "Are you ready?"

She was beautiful, he thought. Everything he'd ever wanted. This time, he was ignoring all the advice and doing it on his own. "Yeah," he said, coming toward her. "I think I am."


End file.
